Palo santo: the true wood, its alternatives, how to burn it and how to choose it

What is palo santo?

“Palo santo” means “sacred wood” or “holy stick” in Spanish. True palo santo is the heartwood of Bursera graveolens, a tree of the dry forests of the Pacific, in the Burseraceae family. The species grows from Mexico to Venezuela, passing through Ecuador and Peru, and one subspecies is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The wood does not become fragrant straight away: the tree must die and remain on the ground, sometimes for several years (producers often speak of four to ten years), so that its heart becomes impregnated with resin and aromatic oils.

The part used is therefore the wood of branches or trunks that have fallen naturally, cut into sticks or shavings.

History and traditional use

The wood has long been burned in communities along the Pacific coast of South America, to scent homes and during popular practices of “cleansing” places. Online, one often reads that the Incas already used it: this claim is hard to document, and it is better treated as a sales argument than as established fact. The current worldwide craze is recent: it exploded with social media, and it is this demand that puts pressure on the resource.

Its scent, described simply

The wood gives off a scent that is both fresh and sweet: citrus (lemon, mandarin), pine, and a hint of mint. It owes these notes to compounds such as limonene, which also gives citrus fruit its aroma. The smoke is white, light and more discreet than that of a resin. The scent lingers for several minutes in a small room.

A confusion to avoid: true palo santo versus the imitation

Two very different trees carry the same name:

• Bursera graveolens: the “true” palo santo, from Ecuador and Peru. The IUCN classifies it as “least concern”, but illegal felling of living trees has been reported in northern Peru, and that country listed the species as “critically endangered” at national level in 2006.
• Bulnesia sarmientoi: a tree of the Gran Chaco (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay), in the Zygophyllaceae family, exploited for its dense wood, also sold as “Paraguayan lignum vitae” or “vera wood”. It has been listed in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) since 2010 and is classified as “endangered” by the IUCN. Its small pieces of wood are sometimes offered as “palo santo”.

If the seller cannot say which tree the product comes from, do not buy it. Also avoid any palo santo presented as coming from the Galápagos Islands, a protected territory where an endemic subspecies lives.

How to burn it

1. Hold the stick at an angle and bring the flame to the tip for about thirty seconds.
2. Blow out the flame: the wood should smoulder without flame and give off smoke.
3. Place it on a heat-resistant support (ceramic dish, stone plate), preferably on a bed of sand.
4. To extinguish it, crush the ember in the sand or on the ceramic. A stick can be relit and lasts several sessions.

Shavings are placed on charcoal or a heating plate. Keep the fire under supervision. The guide Incense and smoke cleansing describes the basic equipment.

How to choose well and spot imitations

True palo santo is wood that is dense and heavy for its size, pale yellow to beige, with darker, resinous veins, and it already smells good when cold, with a soft scent of citrus and pine. Be wary of:

• very light, white, dry wood that barely smells: this is often wood cut green, which has not had time to absorb resin;
• a strong, uniform chemical smell as soon as the box is opened: the stick may have been sprayed with oil or fragrance;
• a very low price and a batch with no origin: a seller who names the country (Ecuador or Peru), the species and the fact that the wood comes from naturally fallen trees is preferable.

For any “palo santo” essential oil, ask for the species, as some oils come from Bulnesia.

Sustainability and ethics

True palo santo is a textbook case. On one hand, harvesting dead wood provides income for local communities without felling any living tree. On the other, global demand has led to illegal felling of living trees, wood harvested too young, and products of doubtful origin. Peru prohibits felling living trees and permits only the harvest of wood from naturally dead trees; Ecuador runs replanting programmes.

Our advice: choose only wood whose origin (Ecuador or Peru) and nature (naturally fallen trees) are stated; do not buy large quantities; make a stick last by putting it out straight after use; and, for everyday use, alternate with more abundant alternatives: cedar, pine resin or copal (same botanical family, but resin harvested from a living tree).

Safety

A stick of glowing wood can drop embers: place it on a stable support, away from curtains, paper and rugs, and never leave it unattended. Burn in a ventilated room, in short sessions, since any smoke degrades indoor air. People with asthma or who are sensitive to smoke, young children and birds should not be exposed; dogs and cats must be able to leave. Do not use it in a bedroom where someone sleeps.

Storage

Keep palo santo in a dry place, in a wooden, glass or paper box, away from heat. Avoid sealed plastic bags, which suffocate the scent. It keeps for several years; the scent fades slowly. The surface can be refreshed by lightly sanding the stick with fine sandpaper.

Pairings with other incenses

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to incense and resins.